Jamaica's opposition party dominates elections

KINGSTON, Jamaica?? Jamaica's opposition capitalized on discontent over the economy to return to power Thursday, as voters gave the country's first female leader a second chance to govern the island.

Supporters of former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, 66, shimmied and shouted in the capital, Kingston, as they heard that the center-right government of Prime Minister Andrew Holness had been defeated and their candidate had staged a dramatic political comeback in general elections.

Holness, Jamaica's youngest prime minister at 39, said the defeat will prompt a time of introspection and reflection for leaders of his Jamaica Labor Party to examine what went wrong.

"I wish the new government well. We hope for the benefit of the country that they will do a good job," said Holness, who warned during the campaign that an opposition win would scare away foreign investment and dash hopes of economic progress.

While official results have not been released, elections director Orrette Fisher told The Associated Press that preliminary results showed Simpson Miller's slightly left-of-center People's National Party, or PNP, heading to victory.

"Based on the margins, it appears safe to say" that Simpson Miller's party won, Fisher said shortly after Jamaican newspapers and broadcasters called the election for her faction. He expected his office to release the official count and breakdown of parliamentary seats on Saturday.

News station TVJ said the PNP won 41 seats in parliament and Holness's Jamaica Labor Party 22.

Simpson Miller is beloved by her supporters for her folksy, plainspoken style and is referred to affectionately as "Sista P" and "Comrade Leader." She became Jamaica's first female prime minister in March 2006 after she was picked by party delegates when P.J. Patterson retired as leader. But she was tossed out of office a year later in a narrow election defeat.

On Thursday, she thanked her supporters at party headquarters in Kingston, where more than a thousand elated partisans decked out in the party's color of orange swayed to reggae and soul tunes, waved flags and clapped hands.

"I am humbled as I stand before you and I wish to thank the Jamaican people for their love, for their support and for giving the People's National Party and the leader of the party her own mandate," she said, after receiving hugs from numerous candidates, some crying.

She has pledged to lift debt-wracked Jamaica out of poverty, secure foreign investment, and create jobs.

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Her party will face deep economic problems in this island of 2.8 million people, with a punishing debt of roughly $18.6 billion, or 130 per cent of gross domestic product. That's a rate about 10 percentage points higher than debt-troubled Italy's.

Veteran opposition lawmaker Omar Davies said one of the first things the PNP will do is get "a true assessment of the state of the economy," a dig at Holness' party which was accused of rarely providing citizens with a clear picture of the island's dire fiscal straits.

Holness, who became prime minister two months ago after Bruce Golding, Jamaica's leader since 2007, abruptly stepped down in October amid anemic public backing, won his parliamentary seat with 54 percent of the vote.

Political commentator Patrick Bailey said Holness, who was a respected education minister before becoming prime minister, shouldn't be blamed for the loss.

"In fact, he is the one who made it competitive for the JLP," Bailey said.

Simpson Miller has been a stalwart of the People's National Party since the 1970s. She paints herself as a champion of the poor and was first elected to Parliament in 1976 and became a Cabinet member in 1989.

Partisans have long admired Simpson Miller as a Jamaican who was born in rural poverty and grew up in a Kingston ghetto, not far from the crumbling concrete jungle made famous by Bob Marley.

During her brief tenure as prime minister, her support waned amid complaints she responded poorly to Hurricane Dean and was evasive about a scandal regarding a Dutch oil trading firm's $460,000 payment to her political party leading up to 2007 elections.

After she was defeated in 2007 elections, she remained leader of her party, setting the stage for a political comeback.

The two top candidates' different styles were clear while they cast their votes.

Holness is largely seen as unexciting, but bright and pragmatic. He whisked into the voting center in the middle class area of Mona, barely interacting with voters. After being heckled by an opposition partisan, he said he was "very confident" of a Labor victory and departed after taking three questions from reporters.

By contrast, Simpson Miller hugged and chatted with supporters at a school in Whitfield Town and told election workers to help struggling elderly voters.

Her party, which experimented with democratic socialism in the 1970s, is still perceived as more focused on social programs for the poor than the slightly more conservative Labor. There are no longer stark ideological differences between the two clan-like factions that have dominated Jamaican politics since the onetime British colony began self-rule in 1944. Jamaica became independent within the British Commonwealth in 1962.

She has inspired some hope for a young, struggling nation fed up with chronic hard times.

"She cares about the ghetto people," said Trishette Bond, a twenty-something resident of gritty Trench Town who wore an orange shirt and a bright orange wig to show her allegiance to the People's National Party.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45822072/ns/world_news-americas/

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When to Give Your Girlfriend Your Password [User Manual]

Or boyfriend! Password sharing is a lynchpin of intimacy in the 21st century—and it can be complete nightmare unless you're savvy. So when should you do it? And for what? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yoQG4TOIMtI/when-to-give-your-girlfriend-your-password

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Alaska teen girl injected with heroin at party dies (Reuters)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) ? A 14-year-old girl who was injected with heroin by a man at a party last week in Alaska died on Thursday, the victim of an overdose that damaged her brain and heart, Anchorage police said.

Jena Dolstad spent days on life support after she was found last Friday face down in her own vomit. She never regained consciousness, Anchorage Police Department spokeswoman Anita Shell said.

Sean Warner, 26, who according to local media reports served in the U.S. war in Afghanistan as a Navy medic, was accused of injecting the girl with heroin at his home and will likely be charged with murder or manslaughter, Shell said.

Police reports said Dolstad was found overdosed on Warner's bed the night after she had been injected with 25 to 30 units of heroin, identified by a witness as "China White."

The reports said she had wanted to try the drug but allowed Warner to inject her because she was unwilling to give herself a shot.

Police reports did not explain the relationship between the pair but said Warner told officers he did not know Dolstad's name or age. Witnesses told police they went with Warner to pick up the girl on their way to his home the night of the gathering.

Warner's relatives in Oregon told Anchorage television station KTUU that Warner began using heroin himself after suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome from the war in Afghanistan.

Warner has remained jailed since he was charged on Sunday with drug possession, theft, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to hide evidence of a crime in connection with the case, court records showed.

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Cynthia Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/us_nm/us_heroin_girl_alaska

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East Liverpool mayor sworn in for third term

EAST LIVERPOOL - Family members packed Judge Melissa Byers Emmerling's courtroom at East Liverpool Municipal Court on Tuesday afternoon to watch as Mayor Jim Swoger was sworn in for his third four-year term as mayor of East Liverpool.

Swoger's term officially begins Jan. 2. He believes at that time he will have the longest term of any city mayor.

Swoger took his oath with his wife Amy by his side.

Amy Swoger said her husband took the oath with his hand on a Bible that belonged to his late father-in-law, Dean DeLong. She said DeLong attended the ceremony when Swoger was sworn in for his second term four years ago.

Looking on were many family members who drove in for the occasion, including the Swoger's eldest son Jim, daughter-in-law Bridget, and granddaughters Daphne, Lily, Audrey, Felicity and Charlotte, who arrived from Springfield, Va., in time for the ceremony and ahead of the predicted weather change from a cold rain to a wintry mix of ice and snow.

With no Republican or independent candidates opposing him in November, Swoger, a Democrat, won re-election by defeating Councilman Brian Kerr in the primary. Primary voters selected Swoger with a vote count of 494 to 443.

Source: http://www.morningjournalnews.com/page/content.detail/id/536873.html

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Best Movie Scenes Of 2011

MTV News counts down the most gripping, action-packed moments from 'Harry Potter,' 'Breaking Dawn,' 'Dragon Tattoo' and more.
By MTV News staff

Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"
Photo: Warner Bros

Rare is the moviegoing experience after which you leave the theater having loved each and every frame that flashed onscreen. Even when talking about our 10 favorite films of the year, we didn't love everything about them, just most everything. More often than not, however, a film's success and sustainability can be attributed to a few brilliantly crafted key scenes or sequences. They are the moments that make us ooh and aah, laugh out loud, cringe or cover our eyes.

In the spirit of the movie moments that have stuck with us and will continue to do so, here's our list of the 10 best scenes from 2011's new releases. SPOILERS ahead.

10. Ryan Gosling's Airbrushed Abs Reveal, "Crazy, Stupid, Love"
Let's face it, ladies have been mooning away over Ryan Gosling since his star-making turn in "The Notebook." And although the Hollywood heartthrob always looks good onscreen, we hadn't seen him cash in on the whole dreamboat card until this year's hit romantic comedy "Crazy, Stupid, Love." When he removes his fancy dress shirt to reveal a ridiculously chiseled and tanned torso, he really does look Photoshopped, in the best way possible. — Kara Warner

9. The Hour-Long Fight, "13 Assassins"
Takashi Miike's play-out in two parts: one hour of build-up and one hour of bloody chaos. In an attempt to kill a corrupt ruler in feudal Japan, 13 samurai set the most violent version of a "Home Alone" house to trap the target and his entourage of 200 bodyguards. The result lasts an hour and engages you the entire time. — Kevin Sullivan

8. Bridge Fight in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
The latest, possibly greatest "Apes" movie was already one of the excellent surprises of the 2011 movie season even before the film reached its climax high atop the Golden Gate Bridge. The brillz apes take on the feckless cops in a fight scene that's tense, cinematically creative and just beautiful to behold. Even more impressive than the throw-down itself is that director Rupert Wyatt manages to slip some genuine character drama into the mix without slowing down the action: Caesar, the ringleader of the simian uprising, goes from reluctant warrior to cold-blooded revolutionary when he finally realizes humans don't give a hoot about his damn dirty kind. — Eric Ditzian

7. The Final Tap-Out, "Warrior"
Sure, there are a few clichés in the MMA-heavy familial drama "Warrior," but all the great sports-centric movies have them: an abusive/alcoholic parent, the underdog fighting/playing against all odds, the competitor with nothing to lose, etc. The difference is, of course, whether they work or not. "Warrior" works. We love a story that moves us to applause or tears, and the cool, calculated intensity that builds up to the film's emotionally electric climactic fight between two very damaged brothers does just that. That final moment where one brother finally lets go of all that anger and ever so gently taps his sibling is as brutal as it is poetic. — K.W.

6. Birth Scene in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1"
The penultimate "Twilight" flick may not have made our list of the best movies of 2011, but it's hard to argue there was a more memorable scene — by which we mean totally goddamn bonkers — than the sequence when pregnant Bella Swan goes into labor and Edward Cullen, after realizing that a mere scalpel can't free their vampire/human spawn, goes to work on his wife's womb with his fangs. Blood is spilled, gasps and/or guffaws are unleashed by moviegoers (depending on each one's relative level of Twi-hardness), and cinematic history is made." — E.D.

5. Sebastian Shaw's Death-by-Coin, "X-Men: First Class"
It took Erik Lensherr a long, long time to return the coin "gifted" to him by Sebastian Shaw all those years ago, but when he finally got to his moment of vengeance, the wait was well worth it. Shaw's death-by-coin remains one of the coolest scenes of the year, and ranks as one of the most memorable comic book movie deaths of all time. — Josh Wigler

4. The Elevator Scene, "Drive"
It wasn't necessarily the most graphic scene in the surprisingly violent indie hit, but the elevator scene is the one that will stay with us the longest. Not only because it featured the best head bashing since "Inglourious Basterds," but because of the look on Ryan Gosling's face when he turns to see Carey Mulligan watching. — K.S.

3. Lisbeth's Revenge, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Lisbeth's life is riddled with misfortune and loneliness, only furthered when she is anally raped by a "social servant." Very few women have the courage to come forth after such a gruesome invasion of space, let alone confront their molester. So, the fact that Lisbeth had the courage to do what we all wished would naturally have come to such an evil man makes this graphic scene gut-wrenching yet empowering. — Natasha Chandel

2. Bridal-Store Bathroom Blowout, "Bridesmaids"
Disparaging sounds of indigestion are usually correlated with the uncouth ways of boys; everything from farts to exploding diarrhea. Which is why witnessing decently classy young women let 'er rip, of no choice of their own, in the most unsanitary of ways, made this scene an instant comedy classic for this year ... and all time! — N.C.

1. Harry's Long Walk, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2"
Eight films and over a decade later, it all came down to this: Harry taking that long walk of no-shame towards Voldemort, fully accepting his impending demise as a necessary means to ending his nemesis' reign of terror once and for all. Of course, it didn't shake out quite that simply, but Harry's willingness to die for the greater good was proof positive of how much the "Potter" films grew and matured since "The Sorcerer's Stone." — J.W.

Stick with MTV News as we count down the Best of 2011, including the top Artists, Songs, Live Performances and EDM Artists of the year.

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Photos

• Best Movie Scenes Of 2011

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1676576/best-movie-scenes-2011-harry-potter-bridesmaids.jhtml

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Judaism Strands Could Be Tearing Israel Apart

It's being called a battle for the soul of Israel, with even Israeli President Shimon Peres saying the country's democracy is under threat. The fight is among Israel's increasingly large and powerful ultra-orthodox community and other Jews who say they won't be dictated to.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/28/144364324/judaism-strands-could-be-tearing-israel-apart?ft=1&f=1009

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900 Hotel Jobs Becoming Available In Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica - Some 900 jobs will become available within the next few weeks as two hotels, one in Trelawny and the other in St. Ann, which have been closed, are set to reopen.

The former Grand Lido Braco in Trelawny and the former Super Fun Resort in Runaway Bay, St. Ann will be reopening following yesterday?s signing of lease agreements between the Government and two tourism entities.

Jamaica's Tourism Minister, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett in making the announcement said ?the 226 room Grand Lido Braco has been leased by Sun Wing Limited and will be operated by Blue Diamond Resorts Limited, while the 226 room Super Fun Resort will now be under the management of Royal DeCameron which currently has two other properties?one in Montego Bay and the other in the Runaway Bay area.?

According to Minister Bartlett ?the reopening of these properties comes at the start of the 2011/2012 Winter Tourist Season and will result in some 900 jobs being made available. We signed the Management contracts for the companies to take over the reins of the resorts yesterday and I am looking forward to the reopening.?

Minister Bartlett said the reopening of the resorts, which will bring back some 550 rooms into operation, could not come at a better time as Jamaica is expected to welcome approximately 1.3 million visitors during this winter season.
He said the new operators of the resorts have given their commitment that their engagement with these hotels are long term.

The Grand Lido Braco Resort and the Super Fun Resort were closed earlier this year at the end of a management contract with the Super Clubs Group.

The closures resulted in a number of employees joining the ranks of the unemployed.

Source: http://sflcn.com/story.php?id=11145

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Etta James Remains Hospitalized

R&B legend Etta James has been hospitalised in Riverside, California after suffering breathing problems. The terminally ill singer, who is battling leukemia, spent Christmas in hospital and her longtime manager Lupe De Leon admits the 73 year old is “in pretty bad shape”. Members of her family were hoping doctors could revive her from her [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/etta-james-remains-hospitalized/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=etta-james-remains-hospitalized

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Everything You Need to Master Your New Smartphone [Howto]

Welcome to our annual New Smartphone Set Up Guide. Someone thought enough of you to help replace that dumb ol' brick you've been lugging around these past few years. Now what? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/OspwTWnjm3o/everything-you-need-to-master-your-new-smartphone

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What to shop for in the post-Christmas sales

Eric Thayer / Reuters

Catch a breather while you can -- the after-Christmas sales are coming.

By Herb Weisbaum

Bargain hunters will find some great discounts in the days after Christmas. It won?t be hard to find sale signs boasting markdowns of 70 percent or more. But don?t expect retailers to slash the price of everything in the store, just the things they need to get out the door.

Dealnews.com, a popular website that tracks retail prices, compared last year?s after-Christmas deals to this year?s Black Friday sales and found that post-Christmas sales in 2010 were ?notably less exceptional? in terms of top offerings. In other words, while the prices will be good, they won?t always be great.

?You?ll see some of the best sales of the year on apparel,? says Dan de Grandpre, founder and CEO of Dealnews. ?Merchants want to clear out their winter merchandise to make room for the new spring items.?

The focus this year, de Grandpre says, will be on brick-and-mortar stores, not online sales. Many retailers, he says, will use their websites to drive shoppers to their stores.

?Sometimes it will be a coupon that you print and take to the store,? de Grandpre says. ?Other times it will be another discount on top of the lowest prices available at the store.?

For example, last year on Dec. 26 Gap gave an extra 50 percent off all sale items in the store until noon. Some of the items were already marked down 50 or 60 percent.

Video games also go on sale right after Christmas, even the most recent titles.

?Some of the video game prices we saw last year right after Christmas were the best prices all year, and we?re expecting that again this year,? de Grandpre says.

Is there anything you should avoid buying? You might want to wait on electronics. Dealnews says the markdowns on electronics tend to be so-so right after Christmas. Closeout prices on TVs, laptops and GPS units usually hit early in the new year.

You can also expect another round of clothing sales in January. That?s when you?ll find the biggest discounts on winter apparel.

ConsumerMan Tip: As always, it?s the final price -- not the ?percentage off? -- that matters. Take the time to use a price shopping website to find out if that sale price is really as good as it seems.

Related:

NYT: Shoppers winning 'game of chicken' at stores

{"contentId":"9658086","totalVotes":"1742"}

Will you be shopping the after-Christmas sales?

Strong holiday spending is helping the economy end the year on a high note. Retail sales are higher than this time last year and online holiday sales have reportedly hit $32 billion. CNBC's Ron Insana discusses.

Source: http://lifeinc.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/23/9658086-what-to-shop-for-in-the-post-christmas-sales

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NoBigGovDuh: Libya Says Oil Industry Recovers - Bloomberg http://t.co/vYMqzM4a via @BloombergNews

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6,000 nurses strike in California

Striking nurses rally Thursday near a hospital in Long Beach, California.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• About 6,000 California nurses staged a one-day strike at several hospitals
• 2,000 nurses strike at two Long Beach hospitals
• 4,000 more strike at nine San Francisco Bay area hospitals
• Hospital officials say they are disappointed the strikes occur during holidays

Long Beach, California (CNN) -- About 6,000 California nurses staged a one-day strike at several hospitals Thursday, protesting what they called an "erosion of quality of care and cuts to patient protections," National Nurses United said.

In Long Beach, about 2,000 nurses staged a one-day strike at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's Hospital, but nurses were later told that they will be locked out of their jobs for four days because replacements had to be hired in a five-day block, nurses told CNN.

The Long Beach registered nurses are in a dispute with management over RN-to-patient staffing levels and safe patient lift policies to prevent accidents and injuries, the union said.

The nurses are also objecting to hospital demands for increases in health care premiums, which they claimed would cost the nurses about $3,000 more in out-of-pocket premiums -- which the hospitals disputed.

Officials with Memorial Care Health System, which owns both Long Beach facilities, said that more than 30% of the 2,000 nurses decided not to participate in the strike.

"Over 30% of the nurses chose to cross the picket line," said Dr. Susan Melvin, associate chief medical officer of the Long Beach Memorial. "Every unit is open and fully functioning. From a physician perspective, they feel their patient care needs are being well met," Melvin told CNN.

Myra Gregorian, vice president of human resources at both hospitals, said the facilities were meeting state requirements on nurse-to-patient staffing.

"We comply with the law and compensate appropriately and it rarely happens," Gregorian said. "As a California hospital, we have state-mandated ratios, and we comply with state levels."

The two Long Beach hospitals offered the California Nurses Association a three-year contract that included at least 3% raises over each year, and Gregorian told CNN the union's claims about $3,000 premium increases were "not true."

The average premium increase is $4.76 per paycheck, which occurs every two weeks, and the maximum premium increase is $18.28 per paycheck, Gregorian told CNN.

The last contract expired September 30, Gregorian said.

"We have been negotiating with the union since July. We had 16 bargaining sessions. We were disappointed that they chose to do a strike over the holidays," Gregorian said. "We're looking forward to having our RNs return to work next week and despite these differences, we'll be able to ratify a contract soon."

Meanwhile, in the San Francisco Bay area, about 4,000 nurses were striking at nine facilities that are part of the Sutter Health corporation, the union said. The nurses are protesting what they described as "some 150 demands for major contract concessions in patient protections and health coverage for the RNs and their families," according to the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United.

"We are dealing with hospital corporations that are part of the 1% and behave just as abusively as Goldman Sachs or Lehman Brothers, and it is very sad that they show such disrespect for their communities, for the patients and for the nurses who take care of the patients who make money for these hospitals," said Charles Idelson, spokesperson for the California Nurses Association.

The "1%" remark refers to a slogan by the Occupy movement that contends the richest 1% of people write the rules of an unfair global economy.

Karen Garner, spokeswoman for Sutter Health, said the health facilities were committed to "providing our nurses competitive wages and benefits, while also doing our part to make health care more affordable for our patients."

"But the union demands new, costly benefits -- such as health care for life -- that will increase costs at our hospitals by tens of millions of dollars each year," Garner said in a statement.

"A nurse who chooses to work full-time at one (of) our hospitals with an open labor contract earns an average of $136,000 a year plus receives other generous benefits such as an employer-paid pension plan worth $84,000 per year on average for life and up to 40 days off per year," Garner said. "Most nurses also have the option of 100% employer-paid health benefits or a low-cost option."

CNN's Sara Weisfeldt reported from Long Beach and Michael Martinez from Los Angeles.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/22/us/california-nurses-strike/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

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The New Buffy Needs a New Screenwriter

Fans who hate the idea of a big-screen revamp (ha!) of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' that doesn't involve creator Joss Whedon, will be pleased to hear that the project has hit a major roadblock: First-time screenwriter Whit Anderson's script "fell far short of expectations," the LA Times is reporting, and it now has been "rejected completely." The Times' Geoff Boucher says that a new writer is being sought, but the remake of a remake "may have lost some steam."

As one insider told him, "If you're going to bring it back, you have to do it right. [Anderson] came in with some great ideas and she had reinvented some of the lore and it was pretty cool, but in the end there just wasn't enough on the page."

Whedon, who's now busy shooting 'The Avengers,' commented last November, "This is a sad, sad reflection on our times, when people must feed off the carcasses of beloved stories from their youths." Being Whedon, he still had a sense of humor, of course, adding, "just because they can't think of an original idea of their own, like I did with my Avengers idea that I made up myself."

As if we need to tell you, 'Buffy' started life as a panned '90s movie starring Kristy Swanson, then -- with Whedon calling the shots -- became a critical and cult favorite TV series starring Sarah Michelle Gellar.

[via LA Times]

[Photo: Fox]

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1924194/news/1924194/

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Sports briefs: 12/22/11

Wambach is top female

With the final seconds ticking down and the Americans on the verge of their earliest exit ever from the Women's World Cup, Abby Wambach kept waving her index finger at her teammates.

One chance, she screamed, all they needed was one chance.

When it came in the form of a left-footed cross from Megan Rapinoe, Wambach pounced. With one vicious whip of her head, she changed the course of this year's World Cup and sparked a nationwide frenzy rarely seen for women's sports.

Wambach's clutch performance at the recent women's World Cup soccer tournament made her the clear choice for the 2011 Female Athlete of the Year, selected by members of The Associated Press. The U.S. forward received 65 of the 214 votes cast, while teammate Hope Solo (38) was a distant second andConnecticut basketball star Maya Moore (35) was third.

Baseball

The Texas Rangers acquired catcher Luis Martinez from the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Ryan Kelly.

? The Cleveland Indians agreed to a minor league contract with versatile free-agent infielder Andy LaRoche and invited him to spring training.

? The Kansas City Royals signed left-handed reliever Jose Mijares to a 1-year contract.

? The Milwaukee Brewers signed infielder Cesar Izturis and left-hander Juan Perez to minor-league contracts with invitations to spring training.

? Creditors of the Los Angeles Dodgers are joining the team in urging a federal district judge not to halt implementation of a bankruptcy court order authorizing the Dodgers to begin a process for selling television rights to future games. In a filing, the committee said there's no guarantee that a sale of the team without the TV rights will result in Dodgers creditors being paid in full.

? Author W.P. Kinsella won the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame's Jack Graney Award for his 1982 novel "Shoeless Joe." The Jack Graney Award is given for significant contribution to baseball in Canada through a life's work or a singular outstanding achievement.

Boxing

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to reduced battery domestic violence and harassment charges before a Las Vegas judge. Mayweather, 34, also was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine. The plea deal avoids trial on felony allegations that he hit his ex-girlfriend and threatened two of their children during an argument at her home in September 2010.

Auto racing

Roger Penske hired AJ Allmendinger to replace Kurt Busch in the No. 22 car. Allmendinger, 30, had 10 top-10 finishes and was 15th in points driving Richard Petty's No. 43 car. Busch won two races, took three poles and was one of 12 drivers to compete in the season-ending chase. Two weeks ago, after six bumpy seasons, Busch and Penske parted ways.

College

Connecticut is drafting a new policy that would require all employees to report any allegation of sexual abuse.The policy is expected to be presented to the school's Board of Trustees in January.

Olympics

Peter Forsberg is backtracking on comments he made in a TV interview suggesting Sweden threw a group-stage hockey game in the 2006 Olympics to get an easier draw in the second round. A 3-0 loss to Slovakia meant Sweden, which went on to win the tournament, faced Switzerland instead of Canada in the quarterfinals. In an interview that aired Sunday, Forsberg told Swedish broadcaster SVT that he "saw no reason to win the game" against Slovakia and the players figured "it's probably better if we don't go out and tire ourselves out too much." On Wednesday, Forsberg said his comments were taken out of context.

Soccer

England captain John Terry faces a criminal charge over allegations that he racially abused an opponent in the Premier League. Britain's Crown Prosecution Service decided there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the Chelsea defender for his on-field exchange Oct. 23 with Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

First published on December 22, 2011 at 12:00 am

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11356/1198556-139-0.stm?cmpid=sportsother.xml

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Fierce fighting in northern Syria before Arab mission (Reuters)

BEIRUT (Reuters) ? Fierce fighting has continued in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, with activists saying 50 people were killed there and elsewhere on Tuesday, shortly before officials arrive to prepare for an Arab League effort to end nine months of bloodshed.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 23 people were killed in fighting with President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the northern province of Idlib and 14 members of his security forces died in a rebel ambush in the south. The overall death toll on Tuesday was at least 47, it said.

Idlib, on Syria's northern border with Turkey, has seen fierce fighting recently. The Observatory reported that security forces machinegunned soldiers deserting their army base there on Monday, killing more than 60, and said rebels had damaged or destroyed 17 military vehicles since Sunday.

The state news agency SANA said security forces killed five "terrorists" in Deraa province on Monday night. It also said Assad had decreed the death penalty for anyone caught distributing arms "with the aim of committing terrorist acts."

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby told Reuters in Cairo that an advance team would go to Syria on Thursday, with the 150 monitors due to arrive by end-December.

"It's a completely new mission ... and it depends on implementation in good faith," he said.

Syria stalled for weeks before signing a protocol on Monday to accept the monitors who will check its compliance with an Arab plan for an end to violence, withdrawal of troops from the streets, release of prisoners and dialogue with the opposition.

"In a week's time, from the start of the operation, we will know (if Syria is complying)," Elaraby said.

Syrian pro-democracy activists are deeply skeptical about Assad's commitment to the plan, which, if implemented, could embolden demonstrators demanding an end to his 11-year rule.

France said it hoped the monitors could carry out their mission quickly. But it also said Assad had a record of broken pledges and that Monday's violence showed there "isn't a moment to lose."

"For months we have seen Bashar al-Assad not keep to commitments he made to his people and he has increased his efforts to play for time in the face of the international community," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

In recent months, peaceful protests have increasingly given way to armed confrontations often led by army deserters.

Some opposition leaders have called for foreign military intervention to protect civilians from Assad's forces.

In a show of military power, state television said on Tuesday the air force and navy both held live-fire exercises aimed at deterring any attack on Syria by land or sea.

The Syrian authorities have made it hard for anyone to know what is going on in their troubled country. They have barred most foreign journalists and imposed tight curbs on local ones.

The British-based Observatory said three more people had been killed in violence on Tuesday, two in the city of Homs and one in a village in Idlib province, the scene of a sustained military crackdown in the past three days.

SANA said a captain in the security forces had died of wounds inflicted by "terrorists" a week ago in the city of Hama.

U.N. TOLL

The United Nations has said more than 5,000 people have been killed in Syria since anti-Assad protests erupted in March, inspired by a wave of uprisings across the Arab world.

Several weeks ago Damascus said 1,100 members of the security forces had been killed by "armed terrorist gangs." An armed insurrection against Assad has gathered pace since then.

Syria agreed to the Arab peace plan in early November, but the violence raged on, prompting Arab states to announce financial sanctions and travel bans on Syrian officials.

The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Syria, which combined with the unrest itself have pushed the economy into a sharp decline. The Syrian pound fell nearly 2 percent on Tuesday to more than 55 pounds per dollar, 17 percent down from the official rate before the crisis erupted.

Arab rulers want to halt a slide towards a possible civil war in Syria that could shake a region already riven by rivalry between non-Arab Shi'ite power Iran and Sunni Arab heavyweights such as Saudi Arabia.

(Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111221/wl_nm/us_syria_arabs

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The Arpaio Effect (Prospect)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/177043093?client_source=feed&format=rss

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49ers take 3-0 lead over Steelers after delay

BC-FBN--Steelers-49ers, 4th Ld-Writethru,121949ers beat Big Ben, Steelers 20-3Eds: 49ers 20, Steelers 3. Updates. AP Video.AP Photo CASM122, CASM121, CASM120, CASM119, CASM118, CASM117, CASM116, CASM115, CASM113, CASM114, CASM112, CASM111, CASM110, CASM109, CASM108, CASM102, CASM103By JANIE McCAULEYAP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Monday Night Football nearly became a Monday Night Fiasco.

San Francisco's lights-out return to prime time helped salvage what could have been an embarrassing night for everyone involved on the NFL's biggest stage after a pair of power outages delayed the game for close to 35 minutes in all.

The 49ers rode their top-ranked run defense once again to beat ailing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 on Monday night.

Vernon Davis caught a 1-yard touchdown pass for the 49ers (11-3) one play after setting himself up with a 21-yard reception from Alex Smith, Frank Gore ran for a 5-yard score and David Akers kicked field goals of 22 and 38 yards to overtake Hall of Famer Jerry Rice for San Francisco's single-season scoring record.

The Steelers (10-4) missed a key chance to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North and gain the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed.

"I think we showed the world we can play the game of football on a national stage," Davis said. "At the end of the day that's what it's all about: respect."

Roethlisberger, playing on a sprained left ankle that had Big Ben in a walking boot during the week, threw two early interceptions and another in the waning minutes.

Even all those Terrible Towel-waving Steelers supporters couldn't will their team when San Francisco's unique home-field advantage became two blackout delays.

San Francisco became the first team in NFL history to hold an opponent without a rushing touchdown through each of the first 14 games.

Roethlisberger still finished 25 for 44 for 330 yards, but was sacked three times. After his second pick, he fumed as he limped off the field and could be seen yelling into his chin strap.

The 49ers made a big statement in their most meaningful home game since their last trip to the playoffs in January 2003, when San Francisco came from behind to stun the New York Giants 39-38 in one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.

They had to wait 20 minutes to get started after the power went out the first time. It didn't seem to faze San Francisco.

Smith wasn't sacked after being taken down 18 times in the previous three games, including nine in the Niners' prime time flop at Baltimore on Thanksgiving night against Jim Harbaugh's big brother, John.

Jim Harbaugh prepared for the Steelers by comparing notes with his brother after the Ravens won both meetings this season with Pittsburgh in one of the AFC's fiercest rivalries.

The 37-year-old Akers, who long admired Rice from afar growing up in Kentucky, topped Rice's 138 points scored in 1987.

Yet Akers has said he doesn't feel deserving of the points mark over a great such as Rice ? who clowned around on the field before the game catching passes from fellow Hall of Famer and former QB Steve Young, including one in the end zone.

It was after Akers' second field goal when everything went dark for a second time. Thousands of flashbulbs went off in the midst of the black, with a sellout crowd of 69,732 sitting in darkness ? including all those Steelers fans who travel the country with their team.

NFL security chief Jeff Miller said he witnessed a transformer blow up while he was monitoring a gate outside the stadium, where a shooting during the preseason already put a negative light on this venue.

The second delay came early in the second quarter and halted the game again between the playoff-bound teams for about 15 minutes. Miller and other NFL officials gathered in the press box to assess the situation, remaining in constant contact with the commissioner's office.

This was the 49ers' only Monday Night game this season and their final regular-season home game at Candlestick Park. The NFL certainly will want to make sure there are no problems when San Francisco hosts a home playoff game next month as NFC West champions ? and Miller said he remains confident Candlestick can capably host a playoff game.

The Steelers missed linebacker James Harrison, who served his one-game suspension for a helmet to facemask hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy on Dec. 8.

This marked the fourth time in Monday Night Football history that two teams faced off with 10 victories and a winning percentage of at least .750 ? and San Francisco has played in all of them, the last on Dec. 15, 1997, with the 12-2 49ers vs. 11-3 Broncos.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-20-Steelers-49ers/id-4bda9da8f106453686c95826fbea4d87

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Dynasties undone? Clippers, Angels are now the 'it' teams in L.A.

The Angels signed superstar Albert Pujols last week for a record-breaking $250 million. And now the Clippers have just signed dynamic point guard Chris Paul. Repeat: The Los Angeles Clippers.

Things may be finally looking up for two major-league sports teams in Los Angeles, after years of taking their cue from the Avis Rent a Car ?We Try Harder? playbook.

Skip to next paragraph

And their fans are taking heart.

Not the obnoxious ones that everyone sees on TV, lining the parade route for the Lakers ? 16-time NBA champs ? or the Dodgers, which many baseball fans hate as much as the Yankees.

No, the teams we?re talking about are the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The latter made history last week by signing batting superstar Albert Pujols for a record-breaking $250 million. His 10-year contract cost a third more than owner Arte Moreno paid for the team in 2003. Anaheim, about 45 minutes south of Los Angeles, has always been considered by many a small-potatoes town, along with their team. The Angels have lived in the shadow of the Dodgers, one of Major League Baseball?s marquee teams, despite the Angels winning the World Series in 2002.

And now the Clippers have just signed Chris Paul, judged by many to be the most dynamic point guard since Magic Johnson. Repeat: The Los Angeles Clippers. Many people outside the city don?t even know there is such a team. Rooting for the Los Angeles Clippers has been so difficult that the editors at Webster put the example in their dictionary to precisely explain, ?fool?s errand.?

?Finally, my time has come,? school custodian Rod Allen told me, as I stepped into a Starbucks in Los Angeles this morning. He says he has cheered for the Clippers over the years despite past promises that have not materialized, including that the signing of star center Danny Manning was supposed to bring a championship. ?I?m sick of being in the Lakers? shadow,? says Mr. Allen. ?Who remembers who placed second to Seabiscuit??

He was reading Bill Dwyre, lead sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times, who wrote: ?Death, taxes and Clippers incompetence are the axioms by which we live.?

Paul, a four-time All-Star, has the kind of statistics that can remake a franchise ? averaging 18.7 points a game and 9.9 assists. He has the kind of full-court skill that can make other players shine. He?s often compared to the all-time great Bob Cousy, who ran the Boston Celtics during their heyday, or more recently John Stockton, who kept the small-market Utah Jazz a championship contender for more than a decade.

I figured I might be too close to things after living in L.A. for 26 years, so I called a sports analyst as far away as I could find who is still in the United States: Dan Lebowitz, executive director of the Sport in Society at Northeastern University in Boston.

Here?s what he told me.

?This creates a national rivalry in a city that hasn?t had one ? like the Mets/Yankees, Nets/Knicks,? he said. ?It presents an intracity rivalry that will be good for the fan base on both sides of the equation and will likely make the Lakers better from serious competition as well.?

I looked up one more source, this time on the business side of things to see what, if any, downside there might be. Ronald Hill, marketing professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, told me via e-mail, ?[T]he issue is one of brand management. With a tarnished brand, the goal is to create new and positive beliefs that help overcome the existing ones.?

He continued, ?In this case, the addition of a star player may accomplish this goal, at least in the short run. Of course, all bets are off if the season begins and he does not perform up to expectations, which happens more often than you think.?

I?m not mentioning this to Rod Allen.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Y9LQLWgZJZU/Dynasties-undone-Clippers-Angels-are-now-the-it-teams-in-L.A

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Jewish settlers set fire to mosque, defy Netanyahu (Reuters)

JERUSALEM (Reuters) ? People thought to be Jewish settlers set fire to a Palestinian mosque, damaging its interior, in the West Bank on Thursday after Israeli forces tore down structures in a settler outpost built without government approval.

The vandalism appeared to be the latest act of defiance by militant settlers whom Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to rein in after similar attacks on mosques and vandalism at an Israeli military base.

Although Israel continues to expand larger official settlements in occupied territory that Palestinians seek for a state, it has been evacuating smaller, unauthorized outposts, in line with court orders to move against them.

Most countries regard as illegal all settlements Israel has constructed on land captured in a 1967 war. Israel cites historical and biblical links to the West Bank, which it refers to as Judea and Samaria.

In the village of Burqa, near Ramallah, the interior of the local mosque was doused with petrol and set alight. Its carpet, walls, chairs and electrical wiring were damaged.

"Thankfully, the torching occurred shortly before dawn prayers, and the villagers who arrived at the mosque put out the fire," said Mahmoud al-Habash, the Palestinian minister of religious affairs.

The mosque was defaced with Hebrew graffiti that said "war" and "Mitzpe Yitzhar," the name of the outpost where the demolitions had taken place hours earlier.

On Wednesday, radical Jews burnt the exterior of an unused Jerusalem mosque and scrawled "Death to the Arabs" on its walls.

A day earlier, young Jewish settlers rampaged through an army base in the occupied West Bank. The attack sent shock waves through Israel, where many revere the conscript military.

"HATE CRIMES"

Israeli leaders have condemned the settler attacks, saying they attracted hostility in an already volatile Middle East.

"We will not let them ignite a war of bloodshed, a religious war, with our neighbors," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Tel Aviv convention of his right-wing Likud party.

"We won't let them harm either Jews or Arabs," he said.

The Palestinian Authority described the mosque burnings as "hate crimes" and in a statement called on foreign powers to hold the Israeli government responsible for settler violence.

Attempts to demolish unauthorized outposts have been resisted by radicals who scuffle with troops or carry out night-time sabotage to inflict what they call the "price tag" for "selling out" the settlements.

After consulting with security chiefs, Netanyahu said on Wednesday he would take the rare step of ordering so-called administrative arrests -- detention without trial -- of Israelis suspected of vigilante attacks.

The measure, widely seen as having been sparked mainly by the attack on the army base, has been more commonly used against Palestinians suspected of involvement with militant groups.

Israel has long been accused of failing to arrest or investigate settlers for acts of violence against Palestinians.

Israeli police said they had entered Burqa to investigate the arson attack on the mosque.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_mosque

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France's Jacques Chirac convicted of corruption (AP)

PARIS ? As French president, Jacques Chirac was called all sorts of names, not the least for his vociferous opposition to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Now, he has a moniker that will stick: Convicted criminal.

The avuncular 79-year-old on Thursday became France's first former leader to be convicted since Marshal Philippe Petain, who headed the Nazi collaborationist regime during World War II, in 1945. Chirac will not go to prison, but received a two-year suspended sentence for corruption linked to his 18-year term as the mayor of Paris.

In a statement hours after the decision, Chirac said though he "categorically contest(ed)" the verdict, he would not appeal.

Despite the "pain and the profound sadness this verdict has inflicted," the statement said, "I sadly no longer have the necessary strength to lead before new judges the combat for the truth."

He said that as mayor, "it is up to me and me alone to take responsibility," but stressed that "above all, I affirm with honor: I cannot be blamed for anything."

"I leave (judgment) to my compatriots, who know who I am: an honest man who never had any other desire or motivation than the unity of the French people, the greatness of France, and action in favor of peace."

The verdict was an uncomfortable coda to Chirac's four-decade career as a fixture of French politics, and could aid efforts by critics to rid the political system of its cushy cronyism. It also tarnishes the lofty image that French presidents often enjoy at home just as the country gears up for another presidential race.

Chirac was found guilty in two related cases involving 19 totally or partially fake jobs created for his benefit at the RPR party, which he led as Paris mayor from 1977 to 1995. He was convicted of embezzling public funds, abuse of trust, and illegal conflict of interest.

Critics of the conservative Chirac ? many on the political left ? hailed the decision as measured and courageous, saying the court showed how political elites and average citizens were equal under the law. Anti-corruption crusaders, long frustrated by dirty dealings in the French political machine, rejoiced.

"I see it as a historic and very important decision for the future of French democracy," said Jerome Karsenti, a lawyer for the anti-corruption group Anticor, which had argued against Chirac as a civil party to the case.

"This is a strong message from the court ? a message to all politicians of responsibility. It's also proof of a mature and transparent democracy that is today able to make a distinction and try a former president," Karsenti added.

Allies, however, expressed personal sadness for Chirac, praising him as a defender of French values on the world stage who was now embarrassed by what some characterized as a scandal of little consequence.

"This is a decision that I don't believe will alter the personal relationship between the French people and Jacques Chirac," said Prime Minister Francois Fillon, a fellow conservative.

"This conviction is severe ? it's both criminal and moral," said Francois Hollande, the Socialist Party presidential candidate, who recently appeared in public with Chirac. "It strikes at the man, so I have a thought for him."

Because Chirac has suffered from ill health and memory lapses recently, he was spared from appearing in court for a trial sought for years by investigating judges. The trial, which started in March, only became possible after he left office and lost his presidential immunity in 2007.

The three-judge panel juggled an array of considerations as they handed down their 120-page ruling: Chirac's age and fading memory; the state prosecutor's call for the case to be thrown out for a lack of evidence; a recent reimbursement deal between Chirac, his allies and Paris City Hall.

In the end, the court faulted Chirac for criminal exploitation of political tools ? even if he never benefited financially ? that cemented his march to higher office.

"His guilt results from perennial and repeated practices attributed to him, and whose development was greatly favored by a perfect understanding of the wheels of the city machinery," the court said in its ruling.

The court said it took into account his age, health and status as a former head of state when determining the light sentence ? Chirac could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined euro150,000 ($210,000).

The other nine defendants on trial included members of France's political elite. Two were acquitted and seven convicted, including former French leader Charles de Gaulle's grandson, the brother of the Constitutional Court president, and former Chirac aides.

Chirac has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

In a brief statement, President Nicolas Sarkozy said "it is not his place to comment" on the verdict but commented anyway.

"These circumstances mustn't make us forget Jacques Chirac's constant commitment to serving France, which won and continues to win him the affection of the French," said Sarkozy, whose conservative UMP party is the successor to Chirac's RPR party.

In another recent scandal, two longtime Sarkozy allies have been targeted in a case of suspected kickbacks in a 1990s French defense deal with Pakistan. Sarkozy served as budget minister at the time, but his office and allies insist he was not involved.

Chirac's adopted daughter fought back tears after the ruling.

"The justice system has been very severe, but this is a fair and independent justice system. For the family, it's a great pain we have to accept," said Anh Dao Traxel, her voice cracking with emotion outside the courtroom.

A career politician, Chirac was a debonair master of the workings of public office. He modeled himself after de Gaulle, and was nicknamed "Le Bulldozer" early in his career for his determination and ambition.

France's last leader with memories of World War II, Chirac was the first to acknowledge the nation's responsibility for the deportation of Jews during the Holocaust. But he struggled to achieve reforms to the regulated economy and failed to defuse tensions between police and minority youth that exploded into riots in 2005.

Now focusing on charitable work now, he is one of France's most popular public figures.

Chirac made his reputation internationally for refusing to join U.S. President George W. Bush's drive to the war that toppled Saddam Hussein as leader of Iraq in 2003 ? fomenting some anti-French feeling in the United States.

A Las Vegas radio station once used an armored vehicle to crush photographs of Chirac, photocopies of the French flag, a Paris travel guide, bottles of wine and French bread. French fries in Congress were renamed "freedom fries," and some critics called the French "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" ? a barb pulled from "The Simpsons" TV cartoon show.

___

Jamey Keaten contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111215/ap_on_re_eu/eu_france_chirac_trial

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Executions for drug crimes surge in Iran: Amnesty (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) ? Iran has executed more people for drug-related crimes in 2011 than in the previous two years combined, in "a killing spree of staggering proportions," Amnesty International said Thursday.

Iran has the world's highest per capita execution rate, rights group said. For drug related offences alone, it put 488 people to death in 2011, from 172 executions recorded last year and 166 in 2009, Amnesty said.

"To try to contain their immense drug problem, the Iranian authorities have carried out a killing spree of staggering proportions, when there is no evidence that execution prevents drug smuggling any more effectively than imprisonment," said Ann Harrison, a senior Amnesty official for the Middle East and North Africa.

Iran has the fourth highest rate of drug-related deaths in the world, at 91 per million people aged 15-64, and is a major international transit route for drug smuggling, Amnesty said. Much of the narcotics come from neighboring Afghanistan.

"Ultimately Iran must abolish the death penalty for all crimes, but stopping the practice of executing drug offenders ... would as a first step cut the overall number significantly," Harrison said in the report.

In the latest case of mass executions for drugs-related offences, Tehran hanged 11 convicted drug traffickers, state television reported just three weeks ago.

In recent years, Iran has received international assistance, including from several European countries and the United Nations to help stem the flow of drugs across its borders.

(Reporting by Philip Baillie; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo.)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/iran/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111215/wl_nm/us_iran_drugs_amnesty

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N.R.C. Leader Gregory Jaczko Hears Litany of Complaints

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Gregory B. Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, was questioned about his management style.

Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=a3a8b6663610dcdfe52527b9d8fc2615

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